Batman-Young Night
by Spartans300
Summary: A new threat has come to Gotham. But who is the hunter and who is the hunted?


Gotham City was one of the largest cities in the US. A metropolis with both thriving markets and eager businesses. New York may be the place where a new life is born, Gotham is where that life's future is realized.

For Mr. Chaplain that life's future was shortly about to end as three thugs had cornered him in an alley while walking from work. One of the men, Burns, was five foot ten, with a scarred face that had the look of it being burnt and the surgery was done sloppy; the second, Fance, was five foot eight, well groomed with slick brown hair, and a loose suit; the final one, Tex, was six foot, clean brown leather jacket and boots, grey cowboy hat, and a stocky cheap cigar in his mouth.

Mr. Chaplain was trembling as they blocked every chance for escape. "Please, I beg you. Stop." His back hit the wall.

Burns sneered, "C'mon, you owe something to this city for providing you. Now you need to return the favor."

"L-look, I haven't g-got anything. See?" He turned out his empty pockets.

"Then you're just a pest wasting our time," said Fance as he reached into his coat pocket.

"And do you know what we do with critters?" spoke Tex in a strong Texan accent.

At that moment a rather cheerful voice spoke from the fire escape above them. "Ah, Gotham. Land of billionaires. Some honest." The person jumped down on top of Burns, flattening him. He wore a fedora, trench coat, combat boots, and gloves all black, a scarf over the lower half of his face, with a couple of bandoliers over his chest with an assortment of weapons and a belt with loaded gun holsters.

"Some not so honest."

He then proceeded with a roundhouse into Tex, kicking him away. Fance pulls the gun that he had been reaching, but the figure swipes it from his and with a series of punches, knocked him down.

At that moment Tex had recovered enough to speak. "Who in high heaven are you?"

The figure slaps his forehead, "Oh my God, I forgot to introduce myself. Well, how's about Apex for now? You can call me the-guy-who-kicked-your-ass when we're done." He throws a punch at Tex, who dodges it just in time.

He then revealed a nun chuck and proceeds to swing it. "Well, how's about toast?"

Apex backsteps away, his hands giving the "time out" signal. "Time out! Two things wrong with that. One: a nun chuck? Really? I would think bullwhips or lassos would be more appropriate for you. Two: Is that really you're best comeback?"

Tex growled and charged. Apex flicks out a knife and blocks the attack, driving the blade deep into the hard end. Tex tries to yank it out but it was stuck too deep. Apex then uses the flexibility of the nun chuck and moves closer, yanking out the knife, cutting the cord and beats Tex both his own weapon and the blunt end of the knife, the coup de grace being a strike on the ears. At that moment, Burns recovers and bearhugs Apex. Instead of fighting the grip, the vigilante eblows Burn, loosening one of his arms, and with the other flips him over onto the pavement, and breaks his wrist. Fance retreats out into the street.

"Hey! Where ya going?" Apex shouts after him and then removes the lid from a garbage can and throws it like a frisbee, hitting his legs, tripping him right in front of an incoming police car. "Look both ways before you cross the street."

With a wave of his hand, Apex jumps back into the shadows above the alley.

Mr. Chaplain explained to the officers what had happened, giving only a little description of his savior. The officers were skeptical of a new vigilante in town especially one dressed as a civilian. They then decided to document the event as an occurrence of the Batman.

Commissioner Gordon was talking to detective Montoya while walking back to his office after receiving the report of the alley incident. "Send me the files first thing tomorrow, Montoya. And when you leave, check up on Barbara. She's been missing a few nights. I want to be sure that she's all right. Okay? Thanks."

He opens his darkened office with only a desk lamp on. He notices that the window was open and walks over to it. He's about to shut it when he stopped, and let his arms down.

"How was tonight?"

The six foot tall figure of Batman strode out from the shadows where he had been hiding. The cape and cowl added to his shadowy persona, hiding an assortment of non-lethal weapons and gadgets, as well as his identity.

"Same as any other night. Why?"

"Were you by chance in the apartment complex on Burgundy and Fifth?"

"No."

"Well, we have a report of someone doing your work there. What about your sidekicks?"

"Not in that area either."

"Well, whoever he was he was dressed like anybody else except that it was in black. I can give you the report. "

"I'll check the scene."

Gordon turns to his desk. "You can but…" he turns to find Batman gone. "We've already gathered as much as we can from the area."

Batman swooped into the alleyway, now cordoned off by yellow tape. The two cops on duty were over at a hotdog stand across the street. Looking around, Batman had to be surprised for once. Gordon was telling the truth. The forensics team had done a thorough job going through every inch of the alley. But only at the spot where the attack was at. Looking further into the alley, Batman picked up a large, very intricate button. Shiny. Polished.

A screech behind him makes him turn around to see a car park behind the cops. A man in a brown fedora walks out. The look of a detective. But not one from the G.C.P.D. He yells at the cops who resume their positions, and then makes his way into the alley. No one, except for the new arrival, notice Batman's cape disappearing over the rooftop above. Still in the shadows of the night. The man picks up a paper with bold lettering on the cover that tells of a coming eclipse that is about to pass over Gotham.

The warehouses were places where no one really wants to go. No one knows whether they will find the place full of furniture, stolen cars, or crates full of who-knows-what. Ownership of any one of the buildings can change in the blink of an eye. It was the perfect place for Gotham's underworld to do either business and put things up for storage.

A garbage truck rumbles over to one of the warehouses labeled B19. Five men come out. None of them notice a lone figure watching from the rooftop. One of the men in company seemed to be carrying a wooden puppet. The Ventriloquist and Scarface.

Scarface's wooden jaw worked as old gangster words came out, "Well, Urgour, or however you pronounce your name, you've gen doing us some great work in our little gang."

The man named Urbour, who was tall, thin, with black hair slicked back and a smooth face, turned to Ventriloquist. "Really?"

"Yeah, and gecause of that here's a reward for ya." The puppet's head nodded toward the trash bin right next to the truck.

Urbour looked down at the trash bin skeptically. "You really think I'm gonna fall for this one?"

Ventriloquist stuttered to the wooden puppet. "He-he did say that he wa-was smart."

The puppet gangster turned to him in his arm. "Shut up, ya dummy! Who told ya ta speak?"

"Ye-yes, sir Mr. Scarface."

The gangster then turned back to his former associate. "Oh, I'm sure."

At that moment one of the gang members hit Urbour with an aluminum bat, knocking him unconscious to the ground. The other two then began to stuff his body into a bag with only the head sticking out. It took all three to toss him into the trashcan, which suddenly caused him to wake up.

"Hey, what's the big idea?"

"The idea," answered Scarface. "Is that you've gen ditching out on me. You've snuck away and not even came when I told ya to that afternoon. Then I find that you've gen killing without my say-so. You either stay in the gang and kill when I say so or…your gargage that needs to ge taken out."

"You know that's supposed to be my job around town," said Apex leaping from his position on the roof and over the dump truck. He knocks down the one holding the bat, and then stands up to deliver a roundhouse into the second thug.

"Who is that guy?" cried the other henchman.

Scarface held up a tommy gun. "Whoever he is, he's going with a gunch-of-holes." He began firing at Apex, but the nimble figure manages to jump out of the way.

"Ah, watch where you point those things wouldja? Somebody's gonna get hurt."

"That's the point, dummy!"

"Funny. Here's mine." He takes out a short stick, and pressing a button, it elongates into a stake. He throws it at Scarface, beheading him. The Ventriloquist went down with him as if also feeling the stake.

"Oh, no! Mister Scarface!"

The second thug then gets into the truck and starts the ignition. However, Apex notices him and throws a mini buzzsaw, cutting through the windshield, shattering the glass, the buzzsaw magnetically returning to the handle. In the chaos, the henchman had activated the lift and the robotic arm of the dump truck begins to lift up the trash bin with the still bagged ex-thug. Apex then leaps into the truck, stops the arm just as it was about to dump the body, and then forces the thug out, breaking his arm.

"Trash day is not until Tuesday but for you guys I'll make an exception," he joked as he follows the thug out, tying him up.

"It's all right, man, you're safe now," he called up to the bin. He begins to tie up the rest of the gang, the Ventriloquist sniffling at the remains of Scarface.

"It's all right. You can come out now," he repeated but there was still now answer. He jumps onto the truck. "Man? Mister? Snooki? What are doing playing with the ra…"

He finds the body bag ripped open from the inside with no other evidence of the man's presence. He stiffens.

"So, he is here."

He proceeds to leave but then notices tomorrow's paper with an article of the eclipse that will start in two days. He picks it up carefully, drops it in a plastic back, and pockets it.

Bruce Wayne, aka Batman, is in the batcave watching the scrolling words on his massive computer, the machine analyzing the objects found in the street as well as the looking through the files from Gordon, trying to determine who was responsible for putting three of Rupert Thorne's men behind bars. Tim Drake, aka Robin, is hanging on the railings, humming to himself as he waits for his mentor. At that moment Wayne's childhood butler, Alfred Pennyworth, comes out into the batcave with his serving plate with two glasses of milk and, his personal dessert of raisin-white chip cookies. He glances at the screen that shows the faces of the Fance, Tex, and Burnes.

"Looking for competition as Gotham's best-looking bachelor, sir?"

"No, Alfred," answered Batman. "I'm looking for whoever put these men behind bars. The evidence at the scene shows that the person was very good at the art of combat."

"Yeah, but he isn't as good as you," quips Robin. Batman's eye rises slightly at him. "Right?"

Batman turns back to the screen. "Computer: search for any similarities, canceling out their association with Thorne, Rupert."

Suddenly, the alarm goes off and a red light flashes on screen.

"There's criminal activity going on at the warehouses," states Batman, gearing up.

Batgirl's voice comes through over the radio. "Batman, I've just received police radio calls that the Ventriloquist and Scarface are at a warehouse."

"We're on our way," replies Batman.

"No need. The police found them already taken care of."

Batman turns back to the computer and taps a few keys. A list appears along with a map of the warehouse.

"There's a few security cameras the G.C.P.D. had installed. Download and go through them. Robin and I will start looking for this guy."

"Roger that."

The radio shuts off and Batman and Robin strode for the batmobile.

"Uh, pardon me, sir, but just how are you going to find him?" asks Alfred.

"The old fashion way, Alfred. Look."

Batman and Robin watch the scene take place from the next roof. Five armed and Joker-masked thugs with uzzis, automatics, and duffle bags enter a bank and round up whatever occupants were still working. Two of them split, heading toward the vault; another one made his way to the exit; with the remaining two guarding over the prisoners.

"So how many guys are there?" asks Robin.

"Five: two at the vault, two at the hostages, and the last at the exit," replies Batman, looking with his binoculars.

"Eh, we've fought more. Let's head through the roof."

"Not going to happen. They've positioned the hostages below the skylight. We go in and all the hostages will be injured."

"Hmm, is there any other way in?"

"No. These men definitely picked their target well."

"And they're all Joker's gang?"

"I don't think so. This is not his style."

"…So how do we go in and save the day?"

"_We _are not going anywhere. I have a feeling our mystery vigilante will do it for us."

He gives another binoculars to his protégé and watches the scene. It was fifteen minutes later when the robbers managed to break through the vault. At that moment they shift their attention from them to the man beside the side door, who had mysteriously vanished. Two mini buzzsaws come out of nowhere and slice through the guns. Apex runs from a closet and starts to take down the two men guarding the hostages. After finishing them, he reveals a small shield just in time as the other robbers come out firing their weapons, the bullets bouncing off with no apparent damage. Apex leaps behind a desk, and throws the shield, it ricocheting off of the wall, and hitting the first one, with the other diving out of the way. Apex was waiting for him and knocks him out. After collecting and retracting his shield, he vanishes into the shadows.

"Whoa," commented Robin.

"If you like it there's more where that came from," said Apex behind them. They both whirled around, batarangs out.

Apex held up his hands in surrender. "Hey, hold up there Bats. I'm one of the good guys."

"I'll believe it when I see it," answered the Dark Knight not dropping his batarang.

"I thought you just did."

"I'll need more than just acrobatics and skills with martial arts to convince me that you're a good guy."

"All right, I admit it I'm not a good guy."

Batman's eyes narrowed.

"But neither are you."

There was a long silence as both stared unblinking at each other.

"You're a vigilante here, Batman. I'm on the same level as you."

"Probably not on the same level as skill," commented Robin.

Apex smirked. "All right, fine. I'm not staying too long. I've got business here and then the city's all yours."

"What about the business down below?"

"That was just a little workout."

Then the Bat-signal lit up into the sky. Turning back to the spot where Apex was, the dynamic duo found him gone.

"Okay, that's even weirder than when you do it," said Robin.

Batman says nothing and launches his grapple in the direction of the G.C.P.D. building.

Commissioner Gordon glanced at the man next to him. He was tall, slightly fit, wearing a brown coat and fedora. His eyes were grey and he seemed quite at ease waiting on the rooftop. He had introduced himself yesterday as Detective Anderson from Richmond, Virginia. He explained that he was part of a section of the police called Code Blue, which dealt with supernatural phenomenon not dealing with superheroes.

"Ah, you two are more harder to find than the Gods of Olympus."

Gordon turned around to see the detective looking at where Batman and Robin were silhouetted on the edge of the roof. If they showed any hint of being discovered quickly they didn't show it.

"They're like that," said Gordon walking up to them. "Batman, I'd like you to meet Detective Neo Anderson from West Virginia. He is the head of…well…"

"Let's just call it 'Richmond's X-Files,' Commish," added Anderson.

Gordon nodded in understanding. "Sure thing. He deals with some of the cases that police officers have found to be impossible to crack down."

"I'm after a serial killer named Urbour," began Anderson. "No other last name, at least not that we know of. This is the file of him." He hands Batman a surprisingly thin folder. "This is the only picture that we have of him." Indicating the photo paperclipped to it. It was a rather blurry image a dark figure crouching over a woman. "And there's no dental, DNA, or any other solid evidence of this guy. The list is about twenty people, which we know of, mostly females from late teens to early twenties. He cuts the victims' throat with an intricate knife that he leaves at the scene along with a tag of his name. Never uses a gun but recently his victims' faces, fingers, and toes have been burned with acid, making it harder to track down his victims."

"Any other changes?" asked Batman.

"Only that his victims are losing more blood than is found at the crime scene. I don't think that it's scavengers, however, that only makes it more gruesome wondering what he is doing with all that blood."

Batman's eyes narrowed. "I may have a theory, but I'll have to test it."

Anderson's face brightened at the news. "That's great! Let me know what you come up with. I also have few myself, but I always oblige to someone else's opinion and findings."

"So, what do you think is wrong with this guy?" asked Robin.

Anderson looked down at him and smiled, showing rather pointed canines. "Well, I used to think that he had necrophilia, androphonomania, or dacnomania but the latest evidence suggest a death fetishist or has hematomania."

"Uh…yikes."

"We'll find this man Commissioner," said Batman, obviously concluding the meeting. He nodded to Anderson. "Detective."

Anderson watches them leave before turning and following the Gordon back inside the G.C.P.D. building.

"A word of advice Gordon," said Anderson catching up to the veteran. "This man will use any means necessary to achieve his desires. I hope you have a secure enough cell for him. He has been known to escape simple jails as well as enter secured buildings. I hope you use any means necessary to bring him down."

"I'll take that under careful consideration, Detective. Thanks," replied Gordon. When there was no answer he turned to see the hallway deserted. "Humph, and I thought it was only Batman who did that."

He then enters into his office, deciding to sort through the papers on his desk tomorrow, picks up the newspaper, which shows a gathering for the coming eclipse.

It was a particularly hot day in Gotham City. Many of the citizens are wearing shorts, short sleeves; shops had their awnings up; many doors and windows closed to keep the cool air in. Many of the girls wore short skirts, Margaret being one of them. She waved off her friends, telling them that she'll meet them at the Gotham Mall, while she stops at a man selling ice cream at a cart.

One of her friends, Hadley, protests. "Are you sure you don't want one of us to be with you?"

Margaret smiles at her best friend. "Had, what's gonna happen? I've down here a dozen times and I've never been harmed, not even by the Joker."

"All right, I'll see you at _Josh & Dillons_, Marg."

"See you, Cookie."

Hadley drives away, and Margaret approaches the seller.

"One double vanilla with fudge, please."

The ice cream seller smiled at her pretty face. One that landed her in the Gotham High School cheerleading squad. "That'll be four-thirty-five."

Margaret gets out the money while the seller prepares the ice cream. She tips him and heads down Oakbreach Street, taking it toward a bus stop at the end of block. She doesn't notice a man, his skin ghastly white with sunscreen, watching her from the steps of one of the apartments until she stops to a text on her phone. He comes down the stairs toward her.

"May I hold your cone while you search your bag?"

Margaret jumps in surprise and drops her cone. The man, quicker than a blink of an eye, catches the cone before it hits the hot concrete sidewalk. Her eyes grew wide with impressiveness and caution.

"I suppose now you could. Thank you."

She draws out her phone and answers her text swiftly and expertly, while the man patiently waits for her to be done. When she finishes, he hands it to her, his skin ever so slightly brushing against hers. She gasps and nearly stiffens at his touch. His eyes drift toward hers as he licks ice cream that had dripped onto his fingers. Margaret then started to smell strange cologne coming off of him that she hadn't notice before. It made her blink in confusion as she found it irresistible, and yet she seemed to already had made up her mind on the man.

"What's your name?" She immediately blushed at the profound question_. _

He seemed to take it in stride and smiles. "You can call me whatever you like if you think that it fits me."

Margaret laughs nervously, and pushes her hair back with her free hand_. _

"Are you on your way to the mall?" he asks.

"Did you see that?"

"No, I only just figured that is what pretty girls, like you, do at the end of school."

Margaritta laughs nerviously again, the cologne getting stronger.

"Then you're very smart to figure that out."

"I actually have something else in mind to show you. Do you want to see it? It's definitely for someone of your character."

Margaritta smiling nerviously. "Oh, all right."

He takes her arm, and a shiver runs through her arm and down her spine. But it only lasted for a second before she let him lead her back up the stairs and into the building. There was no one else on the street to seem them going into the place nor was there anyone when the man came out. He held the cone taking bites out of it, not even caring that with each bite a dark-red color went onto the ice cream.

Batman was again on the giant computer, while Robin practiced gymnastics while several baseball launchers fired stimulating gunfire. Robin flipped through each of the bars, nearly missing half a dozen tennis balls that whizzed through and bounced off the padded walls that surround the simulation. Alfred was waiting at the finishing point with a stopwatch. Robin grunted as one of the balls grazed his leg but managed to land at the finish line.

"Two minutes and fourteen seconds, Mister Drake," announced Alfred.

Batman doesn't look away from the computer. "Again."

Robin groaned. "That's the fourteenth time _and _I beat my time by seven seconds."

"A near miss is an almost hit. Again."

Robin groans again as he makes his way to the starting point while Alfred resets the stopwatch.

"So, what have you found about this Urbour guy?" asked Robin.

"Nothing explicit to a point of origin or history of him. Like the file says, his pattern is that he starts with girls in their mid teens to their early twenties. But there's a lot of questions about the file. It seems that Detective Anderson may have been hurried to write it."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, the fact that he points out that this man has murdered whenever an full eclipse passes. I've checked for murders occurring around the world that are linked with an eclipse and the details are same as the one as are in the file. This Urbour follows the path of the eclipse to murder, probably to gain attention. The question is how does Detective Anderson know?"

"Hey, I saw in the paper that there's going to be an eclipse tomorrow."

"Yes, and there's going to be a small gathering in the park to watch it. A perfect place to gain attention by killing someone."

"Well, he won't be able to with the bat family watching as well as the new guy, Apex."

Batman remained silent. Robin decided to change the subject back the case.

"So how many people have been dead by this guy?"

"Two over the course of two days."

An alert sounded as police emergency calls were intercepted.

"Make that three."

The two of them rush to the batmobile, and begin to start the engine. Alfred calls after them.

"I'll guess I'll have the barbecue ham to be put in the fridge, sir."

"Thanks, Alfred," replied Batman, lowering the windshield just after Robin groaned at the mention of supper. The batmobile makes a complete one-eighty-degree turn and exits the batcave.

The police department had already yellow taped the front entrance of the apartment building and two more officers were assembling barricades to hold back the press. Somehow the press managed to catch on to the recent murders and now there were theories that it the perpetrators were from new cults, the mafia to serial killers like Zsaz or even Two-Face.

Detectives Montoya and Anderson along with Gordon were around the body of Margaret. Anderson was on his knees, wearing plastic gloves, touching and examining the slash mark on her neck. Gordon had Montoya examine the walls and floor of the hallway to find any more clues as he writes down Anderson's observations.

""The puncture wound is an eighth of an inch in width and goes along the length of her neck, cutting over her vertebral arteries. Also, as in the other cases of such incidents, the amount of blood at the crime scene is less then it should be found. Normally, under reasonable circumstances there would be over sixty percent of blood loss. All I'm seeing now is less than a percent around the girl, and I'm sure that if we do an anatomy of her, we'll find about twenty percent of blood in her body. There are also no indications of a struggle." He touches her lips and examines her fingers. "She was eating ice cream when she met her attacker."

He took out a plastic bag and put the glove into it.

"Hopefully, hopefully we can get some saliva off of her lips if he kissed her.

Montoya looked at him questionably. "How do you know if he kissed her."

Anderson smiled knowingly. "You don't devote your whole career to go after a psychotic murder without knowing a few details about the guy. Such as if he's hot or not, charming or not, or smart or not."

Montoya looked down, embarrassed. Anderson then looked up over at the stairway and nodded in that direction. Gordon, noticing the motion, ordered Montoya to pull her car over to further block the press and then help forensics to carry the body when they arrive. As she left, Batman approached them from the stairs.

"What have you found out about our bloody friend?" asked Anderson.

"I have found that the name that he mostly goes by is Urbour Loogaroo."

"Yes," Anderson nodded thoughtfully. "'Vampire' in French. We know that much. It could explain his 'thirst' for blood."

"Or that he believes himself to be one."

"_Right_," Anderson said skeptically.

Batman continued as if he didn't hear him. "He's been attacking people all over the world, mostly around the time that there's an eclipse."

"Well, there's an eclipse happening tomorrow in the late afternoon," said Gordon. "That'll be his chance to make a move."

"But we can't cover the whole city," Anderson pointed out. "We don't have the manpower to save every lady between sixteen and thirty-two."

"I agree," said Batman. "I'll search for any patterns in his attacks on my end."

"All right, then the commissioner and I will set up as many men as we can around the gathering at Gotham City Park," said Anderson.

Gordon agreed. "We'll make sure to have a three block grid surrounding the park."

Anderson grinned. "I just hope that we don't get any other unwanted visitors."

He turned back to see where Batman was standing to find him gone.

A host of people was out at the Gotham City Park to watch the eclipse. It's nearly sunset. Families and couples relaxed on the blankets they brought with them on the fresh green grass. Police horsemen patrolled in pairs through the people while parked white cars sat idly on the side of the street and in alleys for three blocks around the park. Fast food and drink stands dotted sidewalks, their large lines extending on to the next stand.

Two unexpected arrivals came up to the mayor and Commissioner Gordon: billionaire playboy, Bruce Wayne, and his adopted son, Tim Drake.

"Mayor, Commissioner," greeted Wayne.

The mayor beamed at him. "Mister Wayne, so good of you to arrive. And young Drake as well. How do you do?"

"Very well, sir," answered the boy politely.

"I've never seen a full eclipse before," said Wayne looking at the slow moving moon as it neared the star. "Should be exciting although I don't understand why there is all of this security. Commissioner, any insights?"

Gordon shifted his feet. "Well, Mister Wayne, have you seen the police section of the paper?"

Wayne shook his head. "Oh, no. I don't bother reading that. Whenever I do I see a…few…things…"

Drake spoke up. "Actually, I find-ow!" He rubbed his rib where his mentor had elbowed him. None of the other gentlemen noticed.

"Well, you should look at the ones in the past few days. I find that the details shouldn't be said in this public," answered Gordon.

"Indeed, they shouldn't," agreed the mayor.

"Thank you, Commissioner, I'll try and keep that in mind. Well, Tim and I will be finding a spot. By the looks of this crowd, I don't think even a crime could occur here with all of this security."

"Don't press your luck, Mister Wayne."

The men exchanged goodbyes and went their separate ways. Gordon searched through the crowd, his hand pulling out his radio.

"Montoya how is it at North Burgington?"

Her voice crackled over the radio. "Nothing so far, Commish."

"All right, I'll check with Dayne. Lieutenant, how is it over at South E?"

"Quiet as a tomb, Commish. I don't like having to wait."

"I know, I know. I don't either. Just keep watchful." The crowd was starting to quiet down. "Looks like it's starting. If anyone needs me, I'm cutting across the park to Bergundy."

Gordon moved through the crowd, his head turning this way and that. Then everything is consumed in shadow as the moon crossed over the sun. The crowd "oohs" and "aahs".

Gordon catches sight of one man at the edge of the park. Instead of watching the moon, the man is watching the crowd along the side of the street. He is all in black and whatever skin is revealed, it is completely covered in sunscreen. The police commissioner raises his radio.

"Officers, I've got a suspect on the edge of the park on Parrell. Watch him if he makes a move."

"Copy that, Gordon. We're in position," came the reply. Gordon was already moving toward the figure. As he gets closer, the crowd blocks him and he loses sight for a minute. He starts to shove through the crowd, and he hears officers talking over the radio.

"I see the suspect. In black with a lot of sunscreen."

"I have a visual."

"Wait, target is on the move! I repeat; target is on the move!"

"I see him."

"This is Richards, I'm getting out."

"Where's Gordon? Is he over there?"

"There's too many people in the way. I've lost sight."

"Likewise."

A scream pierces the air, and the crowd starts to disperse.

"Suspect has taken a hostage. He has gone across the street and into an alley."

"Dammit!" muttered Gordon. He brings up his walkie-talkie. "Follow him. Do not let him out of your sight."

He heads to the direction of the sirens. As he approaches the two G.C.P.D. cars, two more cars drive up to them. Four officers with their guns out, go with him. They make their way into the alley. A woman's screams sound above them, and they look to see the man in black carrying a woman with a wide brim hat and in a short dress up the emergency staircase with superhuman speed.

"Sir, watch out!" An officer pulls Gordon away. He looks down to see a flower head in the shape of a jaw with large, teeth-like extensions.

Urbour struggled with the woman on the rooftop. The eclipse was nearly gone but clouds had soon covered it. The woman continued her attempts to escape, and even scratched his face, drawing blood. Urbour yelled in pain and threw her against a corner. His left hand pressed to where she scratched him.

"Foolish ma. You don't know whom you are dealing with," stated the woman, taking off her hat to reveal Poison Ivy, the redheaded, seductive ecoterrorist.

"I could say the same to you," answered Urbour. He lowered his hand to reveal to sign of her scratch marks other than blood. He lifted his gloved hand and licked the blood off greedily. He smiled, Poison Ivy looking on in horror, the teeth now forming fangs and he started to approach her.

"Hey, just to set this down I was here first. So the two of you go get your own roof."

Urbour turned around.

"Well, well, old friend. How long has it been? You've certainly taken your time finding me. And the best part: you let three people die under your watch." He flexed his hands, and claws extended from his fingertips_._ "Lady, don't go anywhere. I'll just be a moment."

Apex did the same, and taunted with one hand. "Shall we?"

They launched at each other, Apex directly while Urbour lunged and collided with Apex around his middle. They crashed some distance away from Poison Ivy. Urbour leaped away, while Apex kicked himself up only to have Urbour kick him back onto the ground. Urbour kicked him in the stomach, grabbed hold of his head, and kneed him in the face.

Urbour growled. "You call this a fight? I was expecting more! Because you haven't fulfilled your destiny, you are as weak and slow as humans!"

With that last word he kicked him again. Apex grabbed hold of Urbour's boot and launched him away with surprising strength. Urbour using the momentum to backflip back to Poison Ivy, grabbed hold of her around her neck.

"Close but no cigar as they say. But I guess you can't do well without your medicine." He held out four vials with a milk-like liquid. "Know this: I am superior because I, unlike you, accept my fate." With his right hand he grabbs Poison Ivy's face and turned her head so that her neck was facing his waiting mouth. A nightmarish scream sounded from her lips. "Now, my enemy, which will you choose; the innocent civilian or your salvation?" Laughing, he tosses both the vials and Poison Ivy off the ledge and backflips to the roof across the alley_._

Apex ran to the place where Poison Ivy was thrown and jumped headfirst. With only seconds to spare he managed to grab hold of her waist, fire his grapple, and slowed down just enough to land softly on his back with her above him.

He groans. "It's okay. I'm all right."

He looked at Poison Ivy to see that she was still bleeding profusely.

"Oh, shit."

He immediately set to work and applied bandages to the wound.

"Dammit, the blood's making too big of a mess."

Poison Ivy started to hyperventilate, the blood coming out quicker. Apex looks to her wound, and his eyes start to change slightly. He jerks his head and shivers go down his spine as he stares at the blood.

"Sorry, sweetheart."

He bent down and started to drink some of the blood that was coming out. A low growl rumbles through his throat. Then a siren goes off at the end of the alley, and four police officers round the corner, their weapons out.

"Freeze!"

Apex leaps onto the wall in front of him and then jumps back and forth between the walls of the alley. The officers fired but their shots miss. They then approach the still form of Poison Ivy, who has a red bandage around her neck. The officer checks her neck and shouts over his shoulder, "Get an ambulance here quick!"

Urbour glanced at the rapidly setting sun, grinning, and makes his way to Gotham harbor. He was loving Gotham more and more. Such a variety of prey with such life. There was even legends of a Batman protecting Gotham along with a few youngsters. He wondered if the Batman would be a match to his skills.

He jumped onto the next building, completely leaping over the ten-foot wide alley in a single bound. He then cocked his head to the side, listening. He grinned and licks his teeth before sneaking around the ventilation and chimneys that dot the roof. He peeked around the corner and to see Batman crouched behind a chimney.

_What a coincidence. _Urbour began to sneak up on him, his feet not generating a single sound on the roof. As he neared Batman, his mouth opened to reveal fangs and his nails grew longer and sharper. He was only three feet away before Batman turned around, his cape billowing in front of his face, startling him. He then felt a sudden jolt of pain, and two batarangs were imbedded in his left arm below the shoulder. A hard kick launched him several feet away. Urbour was proceeding to remove the batarangs from his arm, when Batman charged. Urbour threw the batarangs away before jumping up and meeting his charge with his own. The two immediately began to trade blows but neither could get a hit. Batman jabbed with his left, Urbour redirected it and kicked out, Batman grabbed his foot and grappled with it. Urbour with surprisingly strong amount of force pushed harder through Batman's grapple and kicked him in the chest, making him let go. He then slashed at his armor, cutting through the fabric and nearly through the Kevlar armor underneath. He raised his right arm and attempted to bring a downward strike when Batman raised his own arm, blocked it, and struck with his palm on Urbour's face, breaking his nose. Batman kicked again at him, and Urbour took a few steps back and fell backward over the edge. Batman rushed over and looked down only to see Urbour's feet coming straight for him and kicking him backward across the roof. Urbour landed standing up, his claws extended, ready. Batman grunted, feeling the pain on his chest, and reached for his belt and drew several smoke pellets, and threw them to the space between them. Urbour smiled.

"I must admit, Batman, you are doing better than my enemy. I am surprised that you have lasted this long against me. But do you really think that such cheap theatrics can distract me? I am more powerful than any man."

A shadow moved across to his left. He turned his back to it.

"In fact, if you had met him he would explain that I am no longer Man."

He then turns around, and in quick succession, grabs Batman's arm, cracks it, and then jabs at his shoulder, and then sends a roundhouse to bring him onto his back.

"I can see right through you to the blood in your veins. It is so rich and healthy." He licks his teeth. "It seems that I may have another victim after all."

Batman throws several batarangs at him. Urbour dodged every single one of them without even breaking his stance.

"Now a legend shall grow at the cost of another."

At that instant Apex jumped over a chimney wielding a katana.

"Bonsai!"

Urbour dodged the blade jut in time only to have the blade cut a shallow slash across his chest, drawing blood. He growls with rage but then looked up at Apex, and grinned.

"Ha, ha, ha. I can smell blood on you. So my friend, how does it feel to fully become who you really are?"

"No different. I'm still going to kill you," Apex answered matter-of-factly.

The vampire sighed. "I was afraid of that. Very well."

He lunged toward Apex, claws outstretched.

Apex stepped back. "Whoa, buddy, give me a minute. I haven't even taken a breath mint after drinking from that hot chick." He swung his sword; Urbour ducked it, lunged low this time. However, Apex was ready, backflipping, kicking Urbour square in the chin and having him fly several feet. The vampire also backflipped back onto his feet.

"I'd also like to say that I didn't kill her," said Apex brandishing his sword.

"A pity. You would've been so close to fulfilling your destiny."

"Uh huh, that sounds boring. Can I kill you now?"

Apex leaped forward and started to hack at Urbour. Urbour dodged, though narrowly, the loss of blood starting to weaken him. He then grabbed the sword by the hilt and backflips, kicking Apex square in the chin and having him fly several feet. Apex backflipped back onto his feet.

"Hey, you can't just steal another guy's move! By the way give that back! That's a collector's item!"

Urbour swung the sword reflexively. "Perhaps when I bury you, I will." He eyes the sword. "Then again perhaps not."

Suddenly, a grappling hook wrapped around the hilt and was pulled out his grasp to the direction of Batman, who caught it.

Urbour growled, looking from one to the other. "All of you cannot beat me. I am vampire. I have heightened all senses, my speed and strength are greater. Further more, I am immortal. I shall walk over your cold empty bodies. I shall drink heavily on all your blood. I shall-"

A shot rang out, and Urbour falls dead, blood dripping from a round wound in the middle of his forehead. Batman's eyes widened at the sight, and then turned to Apex, whose six-shooter was still smoking.

"I hate monologues," he stated, holstering the weapon on his right side.

Sirens sound in the streets below and the flashing blue and red lights lit up the other street behind Apex. Apex walked over to Batman, his hand out.

"Can I have that back please?"

Batman stared at him, not releasing the weapon. "Why?"

"Uh, one: chicks dig guys with big, fancy Asian swords. Two: that sword is over three hundred years old. Three: It's part of my job. I'm a vampire/werewolf/zombie/creepy monster hunter. Four: because I asked nicely. Now. Hand. The. Sword. Over."

Batman continued to stare at him before holding out his hand.

"You didn't have to kill him," he said.

Apex sheathed the sword inside his trench coat. "Uh, yeah, I totally had to. That guy had been killing chicks for forty years but that's as far as I know. Maybe even more. Plus, he's a creep."

"I could've cured him."

Apex sized him up. "Dude, I've been doing this job for a long time. There is no cure to vampirism." He glances at the door, hearing the many thuds of boots and shoes of the cops coming up the stairway. "Well, I've gotta go. Nice knowing ya, Bats. And nice being back in Gotham. It hasn't changed."

Batman watched him head toward the side of the roof that faced the harbor.

"Mr. Anderson."

The hunter stopped.

"That's not your real name, isn't it?"

"No, my real name is," he turned around to face Batman. "Raphael Van Helsing." He then jumps from the roof down to the pavement. At that moment the door to the stairway opens and Commissioner Gordon, Bullock, Montoya emerge, guns drawn.

Bullock took one look at the still form of Urbour and whirled to face Batman. "Batman, what did you do?"

Batman ignored him. "This is your man, Commissioner." He then turns around and glides off of the roof out into Gotham City.

Bullock pulled out his radio from his jacket. "Scramble a team. I want several cars to follow Batman."

"Bullock!" Gordon said warningly.

"What?" answered the detective in an equal tone. "He just killed our suspect."

"No, that's not like him."

Montoya looked at the body. "He's right, Bullock. Our guy's been shot."

Bullock pulled his radio reluctantly back out. "Cancel that order. And where's Detective Anderson?"

"We don't know, sir," came the reply.

"Well, somebody find him. We have his man."

Gordon walked over to the dead body of Urbour, noticing the fangs, long claws, and pale skin.

"What was this guy?"

An ancient castle sits on the side of a snowy mountain. Snow falls rapidly onto the many courtyards, the fountain in one of them completely frozen, and snowdrifts piled on the many glassless windows and doors. Inside it was just as cold with the stone hard and forgotten, icicles clung to the crevices.

Inside a chamber far below was a woman with many jewelry and a golden facemask covered her face. The chamber was adorned with many statues of beasts; part human with bat shaped wings, long claws, fanged mouths, and bare skin. Some of them had horns, while others were more human with clothing. In front of her was a wall with a mural of a large man with red eyes, fanged mouth, long black hair that fell around his shoulders, fur coat just as black, along with pants and boots. Wings sprouted from his shoulders that reach to each corner. In the woman's hand was a ball that shows the roof next to Gotham Harbor where Urbour in his speech gets shot. Apex then approached Batman and demanded his sword. After a conversation, Batman relinquished the sword to Apex, and Apex leaves. Batman then speaks again to Apex and Apex replies:

"My name is Raphael Van Helsing."

A growl emerges from the mural in front of the woman. She dissipates the ball in a puff of smoke, and then the eyes of the man glows. The growl changes into a roar, and the woman flees the chamber.

"VAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNN HELSIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNGGG!"

Arkham Asylum.

Poison Ivy was sitting on her cot, her head low, eyes closed. She reached up to pat the bandage around her neck. It had been three days since the event and the wound hadn't fully started to heal. She shiverd. She wished that she had a plant with her now. Suddenly, her light shut off as well as the hallway lights. However, none of the rest of the cells had their lights shut off. She then notices a silhouette in front of her cell. He was wearing a trench coat and a black fedora pulled low over his face and a scarf covered his mouth.

"It's okay, sweetheart. I'm not going to hurt you this time."

"This time?"

He was inside the cell, and started to walk toward her.

"Sorry, if I got a bit too close. You were just too sexy."

Poison Ivy scooted to the far side of the cot, her hand reflexively reaching up the bandage around her neck.

"You did this? How are you still alive?"

"It wasn't personal. I just couldn't help how sexy you looked. How sexy you're looking now." He was now inches from her.

He leaned in close and whispered. "How about I tell you a little secret of how I survived your blood if you do something for me in return?"

Down the hall, the door to the cellblock opened and several guards in armor and guns file out and make their way to the darkened cell. They open the door and then all of the lights flash back on. The only person in the room was Poison Ivy laying on the cot, her head resting lazily on the side, eyes slightly closed, her hands sensually moving along the sides of her prisoner uniform, legs out, and small smile on her lips. The guards checked around but no one else was in the cell. They then file out and shut the door.

Harley Quinn called from a nearby cell. "Yo, Red. What happened in there?"

"Oh, nothing, Harl." Her left hand touched her right arm where a needle puncture mark was. She then looked under her bed to find a potted rose with a note.

_I'll be waiting when you come out._

"Nothing at all."


End file.
